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Memphis can dress too. It’s not limited to
geography, it’s on the individual.”
The Black Farmer
By James Jones
Keithville, Louisiana is a small town right
outside of Shreveport, and about two
hours outside of Dallas. It’s also the place
that birthed Isaac McFarland, a More
house College junior majoring in Business
Marketing.
Those here in the AUC know him best as
"The Black Farmer.”
As the moniker suggests, McFarland grew
up on a farm.
“Essentially, my family grew up on a
farm,” McFarland said. “We’re 25-plus
years in raising black angus cattle. We
also show them; it’s like a formal dog
show, but with a cow.
He laments the fact that Blacks are un
derrepresented in this endeavor. Often
times, another Black family will join the
competition only to leave two years later.
It’s lonely at the top, indeed.
He proudly shows off a picture on his
phone of Coco Chanel, one of the family’s
show cows that they got from Illinois.
“The lifespan of these cows is like two
years, it’s so fast-paced,” McFarland said.
“At the age of six months, we start to wean
them to get them show ready. It’s a lot of
tying them up, brushing them, washing
them, blowing them off. It’s work; I just
grew up working.”
For McFarland, understanding his up
bringing on the farm is crucial to his story
and his entrance into the world of style
and fashion.
“What guided me into fashion, I would
isay, is the farm,” he says. “The clothing
is very natural to me. You have to be able
to work in it."
This is further compounded considering
the fact that in elementary and middle
school, he was required to wear a uniform,
iwhich meant that there was little space
for individual expression there. Style
'wasn’t really a thing yet.
■However, once he got to high school,
'things began to change.
'“I went to a private school with people
who didn't grow up on farms,” McFarland
: said. "So for me, it was about leaving
'those spaces and going back twice a day
feeding the animals. It’s a lot of transi
tioning. So, I would say there, I grew my
'best ’sense of style.’”
He was also influenced by his siblings, in
THE SARTORIALISTS
particular, an older brother who also at
tended Morehouse. He exposed Isaac to
streetwear.
“My older siblings really influenced my
style,” McFarland said. “My brother is
like slick bougie, so he was always wear
ing Polo.”
From there, Isaac experimented like a
mad scientist.
“It was trial and error, for real,” McFar
land says. “I think that’s the best way to
learn your own style.”
He wouldn’t say he models himself after
any particular celebrity, but he did learn
from watching others' swagger. He always
appreciated the way that Pharrell and An
dre 3000 have their own lane.
“I think it’s all about how you carry your
self,” he said. “It’s all about how you
move. You could have the best outfit and
still be a cornball.”
He also makes sure not to look too hard
at what others are wearing, because oth
erwise; he would only end up looking like
them, which he sees as disrespectful.
That’s also his best advice for anyone
looking to develop their own style.
"You never want to just copy anyone,”
McFarland said. “That’s plagiarism, and
at some point, you have to be true to your
self.”
Staying true to himself and true to his
family means everything for McFarland.
That’s why all of his clothes carry the
“McFarland Family Clinic" logo, which he
wears as a badge of honor. Fashion is his
way of fulfilling his ultimate goal: provid
ing for his family and educating the youth
on the important things in life.
From day one, Maya Reynolds has always
been passionate about fashion.
Growing up, she took a special interest in
Rihanna and her sense of style. She’s al
ways been a fan of Rihanna’s willingness
to experiment with her clothing. Today,
she counts influencer Aleali May and Mar
jorie Harvey as her biggest inspirations.
This is reflected when one asks her to de
scribe her aesthetic.
“Very street chic,” Reynolds said. "I love
gym shoes. It’s rare that you’ll catch me
wearing heels unless I have to. I’m in love
with sneakers; and then outfit-wise, I just
love to be comfy, but I also like to show
my figure.”
She’s especially passionate about show
ing her figure because she sees so many
people being shamed for doing the same.
Despite being such a stylish person,
Reynolds typically avoids the spotlight.
She never wants to be seen as the person
doing too much.
"I’m very into humble-flex,” she said. "I
don’t like for things to say ‘Balenciaga’ or
‘Gucci,’ anything like that. If you know,
then you know. I’m not really into taking
pictures to flex.”
Regardless of her obvious fashion acumen,
Reynolds doesn’t see herself becoming a
clothing designer. Instead, she’d rather
be a personal shopper, putting clothes
and outfits together. Of course, she’d love
to style her role model, Rihanna.
That being said, the ultimate goal is to
open her own “Geek Squad,” with an all
black woman staff of technicians.
It goes without saying that they'd have a
stylish workplace.
"Stylistically, I want my business dressed
like ‘this is today’s color scheme, do what
you want with it,”’ Reynolds said. “I’m
very big into tattoos; I have nine, so I defi
nitely don’t see my business as a place
where you have to be all covered up. I
want people to be able to be themselves,
but still look put together.”
Who says being yourself and being a pro
fessional are mutually exclusive?